We present another betting prediction and pick for Friday's NBA slate as we stay in the Eastern Conference for this next tilt. The Cleveland Cavaliers (23-19) will visit the Philadelphia 76ers (22-17) to finish their current back-to-back series, Cleveland leading the season series 2-0. Check our NBA odds series for the Cavs-76ers prediction and pick.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are seventh in the Eastern Conference, beating the 76ers 133-107 in their last game. They took a lead four minutes into the first quarter and kept it until the end of the game, looking to remain perfect in their third visit against this Philly team.
The Philadelphia 76ers are fifth in the Eastern Conference despite losing their last game to this Cavs team. They're still 6-4 over their last 10 games and holding solid position in the conference as they'll try to earn one back at home in this second meeting.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Cavs vs. 76ers Odds (note subheading 2 bolded)
Cleveland Cavaliers: +1.5 (-110)
Philadelphia 76ers: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 235.5 (-110)
Under: 235.5 (-110)
Cavs vs. 76ers Key Injuries
Cleveland: Darius Garland (toe – OUT) / Sam Merrill (hand – OUT) / Max Strus (foot – OUT) / Dean Wade (knee – OUT)
Philadelphia: Paul George (knee – Probable) / Joel Embiid (knee – Probable) / Dominick Barlow (back – Questionable)
Cavs vs. 76ers Betting Trends
- The Philadelphia 76ers are 10-10 at home. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 9-9 on the road.
- The 76ers are 23-16 ATS overall, 9-11 ATS at home. The Cavs are 14-28 ATS overall, 7-11 ATS on the road.
- The 76ers are 17-6 as betting favorites. The Cavs are 3-5 as the underdogs.
- The Cavs own a 6-4 record in their last 10 games against the 76ers. Philadelphia is 7-3 ATS in those games.
- The O/U record is 10-1 in the last 11 games between Cleveland and Philadelphia.
- The Cavs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games.
- The 76ers are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games.
- The total has gone OVER in nine of the 76ers' last 13 games.
Keys to Cavs vs. 76ers Matchup
Despite being billed as the underdogs by the same margin in the last game, the Cleveland Cavaliers made their last win over Philadelphia look easy. After taking an 11-10 lead in the first, they went on a 22-8 run to extend the gap 33-18. From that point, Donovan Mitchell was able to control the game pace with his off-speed scoring in bunches. While they notched the win, the Cavs lost Darius Garland to injury as he's likely to miss their next few outings – Donovan Mitchell will have to be their main source of points while Evan Mobley continues to be aggressive with his offense.
The 76ers were treated to a healthy Joel Embiid, who led the team with 20 points, but the 76ers struggled from the field as a whole shooting 40%, 28% from deep. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe went a combined 8-26 on their field goal attempts, so points were certainly at a premium. Having Paul George as a scoring option could be crucial in situations where their guards struggle, so expect him to step up with his mid-range as the Cavs defend the perimeters well.
The 76ers average the third-fewest assists per game (24.4) as much of their game is predicated on Tyrese Maxey creating his own shot. They've been better moving the ball around as of late, but they'll need to be more fluid in creating open looks and trying to earn points at the free throw line. They're fourth-best from the line (82%) in the league, but they rank just eighth in free throws attempted (25.6) per game – look for them to be much more aggressive in forcing the Cavaliers to collapse the paint and contest their shots.
These two teams share almost identical rebounding numbers, but it'll be interesting to see how the Cavaliers make up for the 18.0 PPG from Darius Garland, scoring 20 points before exiting the last game. If the 76ers are able to get their rhythm back at home, we should be in for a much closer game.
Cavs vs. 76ers Prediction and Pick
While the 76ers should have the edge in this game with Darius Garland out for the Cavs, Cleveland has still managed to score 130+ points in each of their first two games. They've seen this 76ers team with and without Joel Embiid, but the result has remained the same as Donovan Mitchell rises to the occasion each time.
Still, the 76ers are bound to snap out of this shooting slump as the home team is usually able to earn one win during a back-to-back. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe should be in for bounce-back performances as the Cavaliers feel the loss of their starting point guard. We'll reluctantly side with the total under as both defenses should step their efforts up.
Final Cavs-76ers Prediction and Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 (-110); UNDER 235.5 (-110)
